How to diagnose this drive?

[bos]

My wife's laptop drive (WD - WD3200BEVT - 75A23T0 SN: WXF1A50F8833 320 GB SCORPIO BLUE) somehow died all of a sudden, without external factors (no dropping etc). Hooking it up to my machine, I find this in syslog:

Jan 9 09:58:23 dr kernel: [ 71.030038] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:58:33 dr kernel: [ 81.052142] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:58:43 dr kernel: [ 91.076123] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:58:44 dr kernel: [ 92.304116] ata5: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)
Jan 9 09:58:44 dr kernel: [ 92.304127] ata5: EH complete
Jan 9 09:58:44 dr kernel: [ 92.313831] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:58:55 dr kernel: [ 102.336158] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:59:05 dr kernel: [ 112.360163] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:59:10 dr kernel: [ 118.296152] ata5: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Jan 9 09:59:10 dr kernel: [ 118.296502] ata5.00: failed to IDENTIFY (INIT_DEV_PARAMS failed, err_mask=0x80)
Jan 9 09:59:15 dr kernel: [ 123.296140] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:59:16 dr kernel: [ 123.788124] ata5: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
Jan 9 09:59:16 dr kernel: [ 123.788472] ata5.00: failed to IDENTIFY (INIT_DEV_PARAMS failed, err_mask=0x80)
Jan 9 09:59:16 dr kernel: [ 123.788478] ata5: limiting SATA link speed to 1.5 Gbps
Jan 9 09:59:21 dr kernel: [ 128.788132] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:59:21 dr kernel: [ 129.280118] ata5: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310)
Jan 9 09:59:21 dr kernel: [ 129.280467] ata5.00: failed to IDENTIFY (INIT_DEV_PARAMS failed, err_mask=0x80)
Jan 9 09:59:26 dr kernel: [ 134.280127] ata5: hard resetting link
Jan 9 09:59:27 dr kernel: [ 134.772127] ata5: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 310)
Jan 9 09:59:27 dr kernel: [ 134.772138] ata5: EH complete

I do not have access to PC3k or similiar, but is there any way find out what the error is? The log doesn't tell me much other than "not working", but maybe someone else here can make a fair guess?

[labtech]

Try MHDD for basic diagnostic. Listening to physical sounds may clue in further.

[pcimage]

Failing that, I suggest you contact member "mr_spokk", he is in Sweden and can help you with this one.

[Amarbir[CDR-Labs]]

Failing that, I suggest you contact member "mr_spokk", he is in Sweden and can help you with this one.

+ 1 ,
He is a respected DR Tech Out here also .

[digisupport]

Failing that, I suggest you contact member "mr_spokk", he is in Sweden and can help you with this one.

+1 contact mr_spokk